Aramis Ramirez isn't going to rush back

Aramis Ramirez is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list beginning Monday, when the Milwaukee Brewers open a four-game series against the San Diego Padres at Miller Park.

Does he think he'll be ready to rejoin the lineup at that point?

"If I feel like I’m not ready, I won’t be back," he said. "There’s no reason for me to rush it, because I won’t help the team if I do."

Ramirez is in the midst of his second stint on the DL this season as he continues to deal with soreness in his left knee stemming from a couple of ill-fated slides into second base in spring training and the first week of the season.

He spent a month on the DL the first time, and after being reinstated initially on May 3 struggled greatly driving the ball -- which obviously isn't good for a cleanup hitter -- while also not moving around well at third base.

Ramirez went back on the DL on July 8 on the same day Ryan Braun was reinstated from it with a right-thumb contusion, and has spent the time since trying to eliminate some of the soreness while also regaining strength.

He admitted he probably came back too soon after his first DL stint, and doesn't intend to do the same this time around.

"It’s really tough and that’s why I’ve got to make sure I’m healthy enough to play when I come back," he said. "I won’t try to be a hero. I won’t go out there if I’m not healthy enough, because I won’t help the team and I won’t help myself."

Manager Ron Roenicke, who's been put in a tough spot with injuries to a number of key players this season, understands Ramirez's thinking.

"He doesn’t want to sit; he knows how much we need him," he said. "As hard as it was for him not to perform well , you certainly respect a player that will go out there when he’s not 100%, knowing that he can help the team win even though he’s got some pain."

The key this weekend, Ramirez said, will be how the knee responds to the work he does in the batting cages and on the field.

Ramirez, hitting .271 with five home runs and 26 runs batted in over 54 games, probably has eliminated himself as a trade candidate because he hasn't played healthy all season. The remaining salary he's owed for this season and next might also be considered prohibitive.

Nevertheless, there are certain to be teams scouting Ramirez with the non-waiver trade dealing approaching on July 31. A report earlier Friday listed the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox as possibily being interested, and the fact they're both big-market teams would seem to make Ramirez's contract less of a potential hurdle.

Regardless of what happens, Ramirez isn't worrying about the possibility he could be moved.

"Not really," he said. "I’ve been around for awhile, and it doesn’t do any good worrying about things that I can’t control. I can’t control that. The only thing I can control is my play on the field. I’m always going to try to do my best out there.

Braun, meanwhile, rejoins the Brewers' lineup for just the second time since June 9 after the DL stint as well as a stay on the bereavement list that caused him to miss all four games in Arizona leading into the all-star break.

"It's pretty good right now, so that's not really a factor," Roenicke said regarding Braun's family medical situation that forced him onto the bereavement list initially.

The extra days off should have afforded Braun more rest for his ailing right hand and thumb, but expect Roenicke to be cautious with him as he eases his way back into playing.

Braun went 1 for 3 in a six-inning stint on July 9, and is hitting .304 with nine homers and 34 RBI in 58 games overall.

"He’s better," Roenicke said. "It’s not gone, but he’s better. Hopefully he can swing it the way he wants to. We’ve talked on how we need to bring him in, because he really hasn’t played in a long time.

"He’s not back to where he should be. But I think with him third and the next two guys, if Seggy and Nori keep getting on base, that’s pretty good."

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